Samuel w



4@uitrit gratta atrnt @fitta MACHINE PQR ,PULLING FLAX.

dite Santilli: munt tain tigen @ettenzitmt mit hitting part nf ila situez,

TO ALL `WHOM lI'l MAY GONOERN:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. TYLER, of the city of Troy,in the county of Rensselaer, and State'of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines `for Pulling Flax, and such other crops as require similar harvesting; and I dov hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 5 are plan views ofa. machine in which my invention is applied.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the actuating side'of the same. i

Figures 4 and 7 are elevations representing the crop or land-side of the same.

Figures 3 and4 6 are rear elevations of the same. i l

Figure 8 is a sectional plan Vview of same, showing automatic raking delivery.

' Figure 9 is a side elevation-of the devices shown in iig. 8.

Figure 10 is a cross-section ot the pulley S. l

Figure 11 is a cross-section of the belts'Z and Z" placed together. o Figure 12 is a plan view of the belts and pulleys, showing a method of obtaining equal pressure upon the belts. y l I l V Similar letters referto like parts ofthe machine.

Flax-pulling machines have been f but ineiiicient agents tothe growers of iiaX previous to thedate of my inventions, for the reason that the pulling devices of such machines havenot been constructed so as to be capable of holding the stalks tirmly, and at the same timeyielding thereto in such a manner `as not to` crush, bruise, or break them during thepulling operation. v

-The rst patent obtained on a machine which employed pullers. possessing the qualications required was patented by me September 1, 186,2, but in 4this instance the yielding surfaces between which the stalks were caught in the operation of pulling the flax out of the ,ground had notravelling movement themselves after` the stalks were clasped, the pullers being firmly iixed in a revolving drum or axle. The impartation of a travelling motion to yielding lpullers has Vbeen found in practice the essential thing to make machineA flax-gathering or harvesting a success. i

The nature of my invention, under this patent, consists in pulling iiax, or other crops requiring to be harvested in this way, by taking hold of the stalks with yielding substances, such as rubber, gutta percha, or other plastic, iiexible material of like nature and properties, and with such substances, by reason of their clasping action and a travelling movement imparted to them, drawing the lax up out of the ground and depositing it in any convenient place 'for being bundled `or otherwise disposed of.

vulcanized India-rubber belting, madewholly of gum, or of a base of webbing and a. surface of gum, may very beneficially be adopted as'the substance out of which to make thelpullers; or one jaw of each puller may be a moving roller covered with a cushion of gum, and the other jaw may be a travelling rubber-cushioned belt, or a belt made entirely of rubber or analogous substance which will clasp the stalks and still yield to them, so as to allow the stalks to become more or less embedded into it without offering a crushing, bruising, or breaking resistance. Two rubber rollers might answer.

In the drawings I have shown one way of constructing a dax-harvester with my invention applied to it, but as the special construction of this machine, and the special mode of employing yielding travelling pullers therein shown, constitute the subject-matter of another patent, I do not claim the same under this patent, nor do I confine my yielding travelling pullers to this particular machine, as they will be found essential in all dax machines which harvest the flax ,by pulling it out of the ground.

To enable others skilled inA the art to make and use my invention, lI will proceed to describe the'same with reference to the drawings. v p

A, B, C, D, H, and Gr constitute the' frame of the machine. The `side pieces C C, the cross-pieces D and. II, the pendent pieces A, and the transverse beam G are framed and iirmly fastened together, forming a rectangular frame, with the transverse beam G extending laterally to any desired width of swath. The longitudinal pieces or arms-B and the stanchions T are placed together at proper intervals upon, and firmly fastened to, the transverse beam Gr, and form supportafor the studs B, shafts U, and boards Y; the whole so arranged as to for..

form an open space through which the crop may pass unimpeded to the platform. The actuating side of the machine is supported by the wheel W, while" its opposite side is supported upon the wheel A', which is placed in such a position as to ,travel within the path of the machine and not to interfere with the crop as it passes between theb'elts Z and Z' to the platform D'. The drivers 'seat is placed upon the springdwhich is attached to the tongue E, which is also attached flexibly to the frame of the machine, and extends within and through the looped stanchion Q, and is held in any desired position by the hand-pin f; the whole so evenly and properly balanced that no important weight falls upon the necks of therteam while working the same. The platform D' is attached to the machine by hinges b in such a manner that while it cannot fall below its proper level it may be folded up against the machine for convenient transportation and storage,l and while at work it will so-yield as to prevent any liability of its being strained or broken by being brought into contact with the ground in consequence of the wheels W and A' being brought into a position lower4 than the ground immediately under the platform. The pinion 'O is placed upon the transverse shaft P and intersects with the 'gear L. Upon the opposite end of the shaft P is placed the gear-wheel H', which intersects with the gear-wheel I' which is placed upon the irst'of the inclined shafts U. Upon the lower ends of the inclined shafts U are placed gear-wheels M, intersecting one with another in such a manner as to communicate motion of like speed to each of the said shafts. Upon the gear-wheel L is a ratchct,K, and upon an arm of the driving-wheel W is pivoted a'pawl, J', which is placed, at will, either in or out of gear with the ratchet -K, by means of the combined springe and lever I, which is also pivotcd to an arm of the driving-wheel W. As the machine advances when at work thepawlJ is allowed to fall into gear with the ratchet K, by which motion is communicated from the driving-wheel Wto the gear-wheel L, and from which motion is communicated to the shaft U through the medium of the pinion O, the shaft P, theg-ear-wheels H' and I', and the series of gear-wheels M; the :potion of each of the shafts U being oppositeto that of the one next preceding or next following it in the series, and as indicated by the arrows. The .extreme front ends of the arms B arc chamfered so as to form a series of inclined planes at right angles to the shafts U, and are slotted for the insertion and adjustment of the studs B". Upon each of the studs B" is placed loosely a pulley, R, forming a series of the same, and a corresponding series of pulleys, S, are placed firmly upon the shaft U at an elevation in line with the pulley R. In fig. 7 is shown an attachment of metal, D", upon the arms B, having an extension which forms the guard N. This attachment is formed in a manner to correspond with the inclinedLplanc, as described above, and is slotted for the reception of the studs B", as also described. The boards Y are firmly attached at their upper ends upon a projection of the stanchion T, and at their lower ends upon the ledges of the arms B, and form stiffening braces to the arms B, guides to the belts Zand Z', and supports for the intermediate pulleys u. The intermediate pulleys u-are placed loosely upon studs which are inserted through the boards Y and made adjustable in transverse slots Y', as shown in Eg, 1 of the drawings. The'belts Z and Z' are placed around the pulleys S and R, as seen in iig. 1, and are actuated cach respectively in directions corresponding with themotions of the pulleys S and shafts U, as hereinbefore described. The guards N are firmly fastened to the arms B, and are used to separate and guide thc crop properly towards the points where it is grasped between .the belts. The fingers are inserted in the pulleys R, and by the action of the pulleys are used to comb. or incline the crop within the grasp of the belts. The rate of motion given to the belts Z and Z' in their path around the pulleys is made to correspond with the motion of the machine as it advances over thc ground; that is te say, the grasping sides of the belts are made to traverse baekwardly at thc same rate of speed at which the machine is advanced, so that the point in the belts at which the crop is grasped, in relation to .thc ground, stands still, as by the following will more fully appear.' The required amount of pressure of the belts upon the crop, while thesame is being lifted out of the ground, is .obtained by means of the adjustable pulleys u, and as the machineadvances the rear pulleys S exert a continual lifting force upon thc grasping sides of the belts, raising them, together with the crop, gradually from the ground, until the pulleys S have advanced to the point at which the crop is grasped, when the crop is dischargedfrom between the belts and deposited by falling backward regularly upon the platform D', or is carried o ff at the side of the platforurby either of the automatic raking devices, as shown in figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. In gs. 1 and 4 is shown a separating dcvice,j, which is used for separating the swath from the standing crop. The piecej ispivoted to the guard N at k, and is made to vibrate by the action of the pulley R in such manner as? shall shake apart thc clinging tops of the crops. In figs. 5 and 7 are shown separating swords tv, which are rigidly attached to the guards N, and are used to separate the tops of the crops and assist in guiding the same properly between the belts. The guards or shields J' J" are used to prevent the crop from being drawn between the belts Z and Z' on their return from the pulleys S to the pulleys R, substantially as shown in figs. 1 and 8. The gear-wheels H, I', K", and Q" arcprotected from becoming entangled by the crop by the use of the sheet-iron hood or shield P", substantially as shown in figs. 8 and 9. The covering boards A." are used to prevent the crop from becoming improperly entangled around the pulleys and among the belts, substantially as shown in figs.l 5, 6, and 7. The device used for the automatic delivery of the crop at the side of the platform of the machine, as shown in figs. 5, 6, and 7, consists in the combination of the endless belt or apron V', the guidcsr, the pulleys t and E", the pulley w, and the band w'. The apron V' is placed around the pulleys tand E", and motion is communicated to it from the shaft P through the medium ofthe pulley w, the band w', and the pulleys t and E", in such manner that thevupper portion of the apron is made to traverse a plane in line from E" to t. The guides 1* are fastened rigidly to the'stanchions T. As the crop passes from the .grasp vof the belts Z and Z' and upon the apron V', it is supported in an upright position by the lguides r, and is carried along at the bottom by the action ofthe apron V', while the tops are forced valong by that portion of the crop which follows from the belts Z and Z toithe side of the platform, where it is deposited by falling regularly inra swath upon the ground at right angles to the pathof the machine, or, by the aid of proper devices, may be deposited in gavels. In figs. 8 and 9 is also shown an automatic raking device, the purpose of am 3 v which is to deposit the crop in manner similar toV that above described, and may be used in combination with that shown in figs. 5, 6, and 7, and consists in the combination of theupright shaftswQ, placed in line and at either side of the platform, and held in'position by the framework lthe endless bauds end ngers O, the pulleys L, the brackets or guides M, the gears G and K, the shaft H, the bracket I', the band I, and

the pulleys R and'S. `Motion is `communicated from the'shaft l tothe endless band and lingers O through i the medium of the gears G and K, the shaft H and the-pulleys Sfsand R, the vband ILand the shaft Q. As the crop passes from the grasp of the belts Z and Z it is supported inan upright position Vby the guiding brackets M, while it is carried along to the side of the platform by the -fingers O, and isdeposited as hereinbeferedescribed. The pulleys S, as shown in gs. 9 and 10, are each surrounded by a friction-band, F, for the purpose of securing, when at work, a more tenacious adhesion of the belts to the pulleys. The gear-wheelsl M are protected from dirt or entanglement with weeds, grass, or other extraneous matter, by the sheet-iron coverings c and c', as shown in figs. 2, 3, andt4. The belts Z and Z are formed with irregular surfaces upon their face sides, and are made to work by pairs, a portion of the face surface of the belt VZ being made convex, and a corresponding portion of the belt Z is made concave or grooved, both as shown together in fig. 11 of the drawings. This form is given to the belts for the purpose of so bending the stems or stalks of the crop as te secure' to the belts tenacious adhesion to it, with less pressure upon them b'y the pulleys u than'would be required were their face surfaces made plain and flat, thereby avoiding much friction that would be produced by such pressure. The pulley u represented in lig. 2 isset upon a spring, X, Vfor the purpose of securing to the pulleys an'automatic or self-adjusting pressure-upon the belts. In fig. 1 is shown an open space between the grasping' sides of the belts at the points X', the purpose of which is to secure free admission of the crop betweenrthe belts. The belts are constructed with a foundation of webbing, a', which ,is comparatively nonelastic, to which are attached the India-rubber cushions Z and Z,isubstantially as shown in ig.l11 of the drawings. I prefer this mode of makingthe pullers; but a belt entirely of good rubber, or its equivalent in properties, might' be used successfully. Two or a series of pairs of inclined elastic rollers might also be used successfully, if shields or defectors be 4properly arranged therewith in a manner -to prevent the hemp or ax stalks winding round the rollers, or to insure the passage of the stalks between the rollers in a straight course.

The whole machine, as fully shown, is so arranged and constructed as 'to form four independent sections, whereby itmay bevaried to any desired width of swath without changing its plan of construction.

In figs. 5 and 7 of the drawings the guards N are represented as being constructed and attached in a manner to allow the crop to approach thebelts at a point upon the opposite side of the line of the axis of the pulleys R to that at which it is receivedbetween the belts, and the'same is inclined or carried around from the point of its approach to the point at which it is -admitted between the belts by the revolving lingers i; the object of which is to allow the machine t0 enter into the standing crop-freely, or without materially. disturbing the same by inclining or crowding it over before the belts have advanced suliiciently far to grasp the same. i'

Having Vset forth my invention, and shown its practical application and mode of its operation, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

For harvesting iiax and other crops which require pulling from the g'roun'd, I' claim pullers which have a travcllngmovement of their own, and are made elastic and pliable or yielding on'their impiuging or grasping surfaces by theuse of India rubber, gutta perche, or other suitably elastic material, for the. purposes substantially asset forth. 1 n

SAMUEL TYLER.

Witnesses: y

R. Tl CAMPBELL, EDW. Scimrnn. 

